Op Ed:
Learner-Style, Maturity
Now Must Control Choices
For ALL In 21st Century

Strong Learning-Research Can Guide Educators.

Image courtesy: wikipedia.org

(SALEM) - In Sunday’s OREGONIAN Comics (10/1} Charlie Brown gets suckered AGAIN by the same “snatch away the football”, tricked by the same betrayal-of-trust. Our Oregon situation is far too threatening to leave serious issues for comic-strip consideration by a canny candidate capable of similar trust-snatching. Painful impacts sure to surface if we “kick clear air” --to miss the funds-football AGAIN !-- will convulse us much more than Charlie suffered. You, too, must have been struck by tone-and-content of Thursday’s debate , caught in consequences set irretrievably by corporate counselor Saxton's dependence on attack and inflated-statement, as in his every public action so far. There must be rational explanation for continued silence-on-issues while demanding full explanation for everything from incumbent Governor Ted K. That proves up his perilous situation as corporation counselor caught between ATR-Norquist PlEDGE and his client-base: He's transfixed by dollar demands impossible to negotiate without refuting his primary allegiance to them OR to his Oath if elected. Can you imagine the confidence-generated by your own counselor causing that kind of confusion?
Surely it can only lead to contusion or chaos...and whatever the consequence to him, it is the voters of Oregon that should be truly concerned. Those defiled-dollars keep coming, so you know the decision-reached. Are you surprised, even though the press was allowed to be present, this time? Given that damning denigration of what should have been decent democratic dialog; designed to communicate factually and with badly- needed professional insights, demonstrated by both; we should perhaps be thankful it was not really reduced-to-blows...
Depending on how you understand that last word, of course. But most striking for educational professionals was absolute absence of any reference to three major trends under examination everywhere in education: Competition, Testing Pressures, and Privatization are shaping dialog and debate at every educational level. There’s unmistakable progression binding all three into precisely budget-pressing impacts on educational systems across the nation.

All three bear heavily and directly on what we can, should and MUST DO about Oregon’s system.

(We’ll analyze each soon in Salem-News)

One excellent national magazine report compels wide attention; It summarizes these three in rational, reasonable relation each-to-the-others: "New First Grade: TOO MUCH TOO SOON ?" is in NEWSWEEK 9/11/06; at any Library; or as PDF from HCR at S-N. This article is precisely the solid reporting missing in Oregon media; read as backgrond for analysis soon here. With Oregon's just-announced move to make much broader access to Kindergarten and education in early-years a working pattern in the state, this report bears heavily on over-reliance for standardized testing; brought about by competitive demands of parents seeking "a leg up" somehow; --any way they can get it, even by moving the home-- for toddlers turning into Kindergarten-goers and younger First Grade beginners. Such manipulation later may be possible for some families-- but it seems far too much for pre-schoolers. Reliance on those so-called "standardized tests" ostensibly reflecting scientific certainties re relative and realistic learner-outcomes; especially at early-learning stages where much more is essential for socialization and learning-skills; is a real danger in any early-learning program; and carefully considered in Oregon's plans. We've learned much more in recent decades than we ever knew before about how ALL learners really LEARN.
One striking fact is the most-essential foundation demanded for social and emotional development and “learning-how-to-learn” for ages 5 through 7 or 8. It is absolute certainty now: Every learner IS different; each has a personal learning-style, developed early and changing constantly; presenting an individual problem for each teacher. Which is why classroom-count is so essential a measure for what’s barely possible now in classrooms. Only a few more will wreck the whole operation. Master-teachers all down the years have known most of this instinctively; as your own educational experience may show. They have given recognized individual needs-and-styles, and supplied as much creditable close-support as possible; at least in their basic operating patterns.
That's how they became true "master teachers". Their insights are just as effective no matter the source in their own experience and humane witness. But now we know WHY as well as HOW!
That changes the whole game since it allows rational, reasonable curricular development and the most methodical of applications of modern instructional technologies and learning media built to those purposes. One of the great strengths we've developed through such research is the impact that modern learning media --presented professionally by strong instructional technologies far beyond computer-browsing-- can offer education when properly fashioned for teacher-support, with ready-reference for learners at all levels. And NOW at nearly all times, too, since many learners today --at all levels of age and maturity-- are supported by home-presence of computerized units usually far in advance of what schools must use. Far too many learning locales are stuck there via lack of State and federal-funding support; despite the overwhelming effectiveness and cost-efficiencies proven in practical applications everywhere else in our society.
Count on it: Corporations do NOT spend millions for ongoing learning technologies unless it pays-back rapidly and well. Education is still basically craft-patterned with a teacher "presenting content" to a class, prepared-or-not via text-work and preliminary programs, with the chalkboard still a basic teaching tool. That has strong current and inescapable impact on learners at all levels even those in kindergarten learning from Dad's devices at home; or definitely often from Mom's too, since second-income now drives so many home-economies. The kids already expect that modern/life situation -- and many now count on it --no pun !-- for their early/math-learnings and reading-start/up work. SO NOW WE KNOW what must be done in Oregon education.: First we finance it right and regularly via standard-means and methods already in place in other States; Then we reform and replace outmoded curricular and instructional methods originating in 20th Century systems senseless and deadening in a changing society. Legislators have pattern-and-protocol provided: in depth and detail by a determined truly-democratic demonstration named: The CHALKBOARD Project. Nobody capable as a corporate counselor can be such a slow-and-reluctant learner.
If so insensitive in the public eye -- how will he ever again win in the courtroom ??